He promised to help businesses meet their obligations under European rules by increasing their relief from the climate change levy and reducing the impact of reforms to the electricity market, which businesses say have increased their costs.

The government’s help for businesses to meet their climate obligations amounts to a £250 million package over the course of this Parliament, he said.

“We shouldn’t price British business out of the world economy.

“If we burden them with endless social and environmental goals – however worthy in their own right – then not only will we not achieve those goals, but the businesses will fail, jobs will be lost, and our country will be poorer.”

Greenpeace labelled the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement as a “polluter's charter”. Campaigners also raised fears that reform of the planning system and the review of regulations that protect habitats to ensure they are not placing “ridiculous” costs on businesses would weaken protection of the countryside.

Martin Harper, conservation director of the RSPB, said: “These regulations have been in place for 17 years and they have not been a brake on development.

“Clearly the Chancellor believes that he can bring about a quick fix of the economy by allowing unrestrained growth to trample over our precious natural environment.”

However, John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said welcomed Mr Osborne’s package of support for heavy industry.

“It’s vital we keep industries in the UK which produce the steel that goes into wind turbines, the lubrication that helps their blades turn and the cement that makes their foundations,” he said.